Implantable medical devices, such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators, pacemakers, and neuromodulation devices, are used in a variety of therapeutic applications. In some applications, one or more implantable electrical leads are employed to deliver therapy from an implanted medical device to tissues within a body. The electrical lead may have one or more electrodes near a distal end of the electrical lead electrically connected to terminal pin contacts near a proximal, or terminal, end of the electrical lead. The terminal end of the electrical lead may be inserted into ports in a lead connector block of the implanted medical device. The lead connector block may include an electrical connector that contacts a terminal pin contact of the electrical lead to electrically connect the implanted medical device to the electrical lead. The electrical connection is detachable so that the electrical lead may be coupled and decoupled as necessary.
The electrical connectors within the lead connector block may include spring contacts to provide the electrical connection to the terminal pin contacts once the terminal end of the electrical lead is inserted into the lead connector block. A minimum level of normal, or contact, force must be provided by the spring contacts to ensure a reliable electrical connection between the electrical connector and the electrical lead. Flat, or leaf, spring contacts may be used, but such flat, or leaf, spring contacts may be overstressed or bent, particularly with repeated coupling and decoupling between the electrical lead and the lead connector block, leading to a normal force that is lower than that necessary to provide a reliable electrical connection.